The fight presents a unique case whereby a private company is proposing to overthrow a public company’s entire board through a proxy fight, a move more often associated with activist hedge funds.

Monster, based in Weston, Massachusetts, agreed in August to a $429 million acquisition offer from Dutch staffing group Randstad. The all-cash offer from Randstad, the world’s second largest staffing company, is part of its effort to expand into the United States and into online recruiting.

Ten days after the announcement of that deal, MediaNews said it had bought an 11.6% stake in Monster and that it opposed the Randstad acquisition.

MediaNews repeated its concerns about the deal on Friday.

Monster did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

“We have significant concerns about the flawed and unorganized sale process that led to the current deal with Randstad,” MediaNews said in a statement on Friday.

The company, whose 67 daily newspapers include the San Jose (California) Mercury News and the Lowell (Massachusetts) Sun, nominated seven directors, including Daniel Dienst, former chief executive of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, who MediaNews said it would install as Monster’s CEO if its proposed slate of directors wins.

Monster’s annual meeting has already been held, so MediaNews is launching a consent solicitation, meaning it needs to get the support of more than 50% of Monster’s outstanding shareholders before it can proceed with a special vote for its seven nominees.

MediaNews said in August that Monster should remain independent, and boost its share price through cost cuts, the sale of assets and by adjusting its strategy.

Monster has resisted MediaNews’ attempt to scuttle the deal, and has called the Denver-based group’s case against the offer “flawed and uninformed.”

Last week, Randstad extended the deadline for its tender offer of Monster’s shares to Oct. 28.

]]>http://fortune.com/2016/09/30/medianews-monster-board/feed/0Monster Worldwide 2014chaunceyfortuneThis Creativity App Is Great for iPad-Obsessed Kidshttp://fortune.com/2016/08/24/creativity-app-ipad-kids/
http://fortune.com/2016/08/24/creativity-app-ipad-kids/#respondWed, 24 Aug 2016 18:30:12 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=1776968]]>A few years ago, a story surfaced about how the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs wouldn't let his children use iPads. Like so many other surprising celebrity parenting stories, the story quickly went viral. Soon, the original message (how tech-industry parents' handle household gadgets) was contorted into something else entirely (screen time is terrible for kids).

Pro- and anti-screen parents got whipped into a frenzy, and before long, the American Academy of Pediatrics had to restate its position on kids and screens. "In a world where 'screen time' is becoming simply 'time,' our policies must evolve or become obsolete," wrote the AAP. The group had to change, because the way we use computers had changed.

Characteristic of this shift in how we use our screens, Osmo Monster, an app-enabled iPad accessory, mixes real world drawing with a healthy dose of imagination--and some clever tech--to show both children and parents alike the future of computing.

Osmo Monster is an accessory to the original Osmo kit, a dock with a mirror for the iPad's front-facing camera that lets the tablet "see" interactions taking place on the tabletop in front of it. When users tap on the Osmo Monster app, the iPad looks for Monster's creative board (a letter-sized white board) which works with the accompanying erasable markers. On the screen, users interact with an orange, bear-like creature named Mo, who tells interactive stories. But he can't do it alone -- he needs the user to draw items like potions, magic wands, and stars to keep the story going.

Designed for children aged four through nine, Monster aims to eliminate the passive experiences typical of children's tablet apps. And passive tablet usage is the real monster here, causing children to zone out rather than engage, leading to obesity and poor academic performance, according to the AAP. YouTube, for instance, is just about as passive as an app can get -- you literally use it to watch videos -- and according to 2015 research from the U.K.'s University of Sheffield, it's children's favorite iPad app. (That said, YouTube offers plenty of educational videos for kids, too.)

So instead of developing yet another video app, Osmo developers set out to make an entirely new medium. "We thought if we can make this into a two-way conversation, we can have active engagement with the characters," says Pramod Sharma, the company's co-founder and CEO.

In the Osmo Monster app, Mo walks children through a magic show, requesting the user draw all the props needed to make the tricks come to life. According to Sharma, this is just the first of many stories Mo will help tell. The company is planning to release a different set of interactions in coming months.

And if Mo looks familiar to Disney/Pixar's Monsters Inc. fans, it may be because the company has some Disney DNA in its staff. And though the big, friendly beast is an Osmo original, don't count out other characters from utilizing Osmo's technology in the future. According to Sharma, as much as Osmo Monster is its own app, it's also a platform, capable of taking in any other character and telling any other tale. That's something that could make both kids and media companies happy.

For more about children and tech, watch:

The Monster app offers a quality experience, which should make parents happy, too. The app works great. The liquid chalk markers are vivid and work well with the storyboard. The marker case doubles as a board-wiping rag. And best yet, the app performs equally well on a four-year-old iPad Mini as it does with a current-model iPad Air. This is a smart move by Osmo, as lots of children are given hand-me-down gadgets.

And if you're wondering, Sharma -- who has two children of his own -- doesn't restrict his little ones from using iPads at home. But he does make sure their screen time is active. "The use case of just watching YouTube mindlessly is very little in our house," he says. "And I can totally understand why Steve Jobs wouldn't allow it either."

]]>http://fortune.com/2016/08/24/creativity-app-ipad-kids/feed/0554993635jppullenVeteran Job Site Monster Finally Found a Buyerhttp://fortune.com/2016/08/09/monster-jobs-recruitment-randstad/
http://fortune.com/2016/08/09/monster-jobs-recruitment-randstad/#respondTue, 09 Aug 2016 11:21:04 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=1762726]]>The Dutch recruitment agency Randstad has continued its acquisition drive in the digital world by buying one of the big names of the dotcom era, Monster.

The deal is worth around $429 million, representing a per-share price of $3.40. Monster Worldwide mww, which runs the heavily trafficked Monster.com service and was making acquisitions of its own as recently as two months ago, will continue to operate as an independent entity under its own name.

“With its industry leading technology platform and easy to use digital, social and mobile solutions, Monster is a natural complement to Randstad,” Randstad ranjy CEO Jacques van den Broek said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Monster CEO Tim Yates said the deal would leave his company “better positioned to fulfill our core mission, and our employees will benefit from becoming part of a larger, more diversified company.”

Randstad is big--it claims to place around 2 million people in new job each year. It’s also a growing outfit.

In June, Randstad bought the German freelancing platform Twago, which has half a million people on its books, and the Tokyo-based Careo Group. The month before, it paid out EUR102.5 million ($113.6 million) for Italy’s Obiettive Lavoro.

For more on M&A, watch our video:

The Monster price is worth a 22.7% premium to its closing stock price on Monday, but it’s a far cry from the $91 a Monster share was commanding back in 2000.

Even in 2012, when speculation was rife about Monster shopping itself around, people were talking about a buyer shelling out something in the $14-$15 range.

The pro gamer racked up 12 world championships and over $450,000 in cash prizes over nine years playing games like Quake, Unreal Tournament, and Counter-Strike. He became the face of eSports at a time when events were held in hotel ballrooms, rather than sold-out soccer and NBA stadiums.

At CES 2016, Wendel debuted two headphones from his new partnership with audio company Monster. The Fatal1ty FXM 100 by Monster ($70) and Fatal1ty FXM 200 by Monster ($100) were designed by the gamer and Noel Lee, founder of Monster. "Noel Lee is a man who knows sound better than [sic] most anyone in the world; and I know what gamers need to compete at the highest level," Wendel says.

Long before social media and video channels like Twitch and YouTube googl allowed anyone to become an online personality, Wendel parlayed his eSports fame into a video game brand in 2002 called Fatal1ty Gaming Gear.

WATCH: For more on the lucrative world of eSports, check out the following Fortune video.

He started by selling mouse pads and sound cards, but in 2006 he partnered with Creative to launch the Fatal1ty Gaming Headset. It was the first headset to introduce a removable microphone, which has since become the standard for all gaming headphones. Wendel says he still sells thousands of those headsets every month, which can be found at online sites like Newegg.com.

"The Fatal1ty brand has sold a ton of things with the core and mid-mainstream gamers over the years," Wendel explains. "Now with Monster we can jump into the mainstream. We're going to be able to reach a much bigger demographic. I see these headphones being used by young kids 7-10 years old all the way up to 50-year-old gamers."

With his first two Fatal1ty by Monster headsets, Wendel has kept price point low in order to compete with gaming audio brands like Astro Gaming, Turtle Beach, Mad Catz, Logitech G, SteelSeries, and Polk Audio.

"Not every gamer has $200 or $300 to spend on a headset," Wendel says. "My goal is to offer them something they can afford, and still give them that same rich experience with sound clarity and versatility with a product that works with mobile devices, PS4, PC, Xbox One, and other gaming devices."

Wendel has spent the past nine months working with Monster to hand-pick every item in the headphone kit, and even traveled to San Francisco and Hong Kong to develop the product.

"I'm constantly trying to meet the gamer's pocketbook because when I was a kid growing up in Kansas City, I was living paycheck to paycheck and I couldn't afford a headset that was more than $100," Wendel says.

The first two headsets available don't offer Dolby 5.1 surround sound or noise-canceling technology on purpose. The headsets will instead offer FX 720 sound, which Wendel says can be used by professional gamers today to compete in real eSports competition. "These headphones are better than anything I had when I was competing," Wendel says.

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With the first two headphones scheduled to hit retail shelves in Q1, Wendel is already thinking about what's next in his headphone line. He says he plans on creating some high-end headphones in the future.

"Noise cancelling technology is possible down the line for the higher-end headphones, and I have some other ideas as well for future products," Wendel says.

In addition to marketing these headphones to the eSports audience, Wendel points out Monster already has relationships with athletes from sports leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB.

"Monster opens up a lot more doors to do creative marketing and bring Fatal1ty to a more mainstream level," Wendel says. "A lot of people know me, but I want to build the brand so that Fatal1ty means gaming."

]]>http://fortune.com/2016/01/06/monster-headphone-debut-ces/feed/0Fatal1ty FXM 100johnagaudiosiMonster Goes 1980s Retro by Resurrecting the Boomboxhttp://fortune.com/2016/01/05/monster-boombox-1980s/
http://fortune.com/2016/01/05/monster-boombox-1980s/#respondTue, 05 Jan 2016 19:16:32 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=1504053]]>Vinyl records and turntables aren't the only music artifacts that are making a comeback. Monster is introducing a new line of high-end portable boomboxes.

The company unveiled the Monster Blaster--a throwback to the 1980s audio staple that is all but an antique to today’s teens and twentysomethings--at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Like its predecessors, the Monster Blaster is a hefty speaker system that can be carried on a listener's shoulders.

While it went retro by bringing back the boombox, Monster stopped short of a completely copying the analog era technology. The updated version comes without a cassette or CD player. Instead, the system pairs with modern digital music players via Bluetooth. So much for authenticity.

Blaster has an integrated subwoofer, giving it a deep, rich sound that's designed to not only aim songs at directly at listeners, but also bounce the sound off of walls to fill the room. It offers a USB charging slot, is weather resistant (though not waterproof) and, in a modern twist, a rechargeable battery.

"The best thing that I love is there are no D cell [batteries]," said Monster CEO Noel Lee. "We think we're going to get a whole lot of traction around this."

The Monster Blaster will be available this spring for $400.

Beyond the standard version of the Monster Blaster, the company plans to introduce a version for DJs/clubs, gamers, and workplaces (presumably ones that are outdoors).

WATCH: For more about Monster, watch this Fortune video:

While boomboxes are still available from some retailers, few, if any, high-end audio companies have made a real effort to revive them. During the past few years, most companies manufacturing portable speakers have focused on making them more compact, to keep pace with the shrinking size of cell phones and music players.

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Boomboxes were a cultural status symbol in the 80s--the bigger, the better. But as music fans have become more isolated in their listening habits, Monster could face an uphill battle in reviving demand.

Then again... The 80s seemed to know long ago that they'd be big again. Look no further than Rick Springfield's 1983 video for "Human Touch," which saw the singer coming out of a cryogenic freeze in--you guessed it--2016.

]]>http://fortune.com/2016/01/05/monster-boombox-1980s/feed/0monster blaster2morrisatlargeWhy Apple pulled the plug on Monsterhttp://fortune.com/2015/06/17/apple-beats-monster/
http://fortune.com/2015/06/17/apple-beats-monster/#respondWed, 17 Jun 2015 13:02:58 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=1179577]]>The backstory to the lawsuit that Monster LLC filed in January against Beats Electronics LLC would take too long to tell here.

If you’re interested, Sam Biddle did a bang up job for Gizmodo two years ago, before Apple bought Beats and put Jimmy Iovine in charge of what Apple now calls Apple Music. The long and short of it is that Iovine, one of the toughest dealmakers in a tough industry, cut a deal where Monster designed, manufactured and distributed Beats headphones and got none of the rights, none of the $300 million HTC paid for a 51% stake in Beats, and none of the $3 billion Apple paid for 100%.

The point is, when you mess with Apple--even at arms length, through an entity it acquired--you’re messing with a company that has tons of cash, swarms of lawyers and many levers of power with which it can squeeze a troublesome partner.

And so it was that Monster went to the Wall Street Journal to complain that Apple had revoked its authority to make licensed accessories for Apple devices--pulling the plug, as it were, on its high-margin MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) cables.

"It shows a side of Apple that consumers don't see very often," Monster’s lawyer told the Journal. "Apple can be a bully."

According to Monster, it has made roughly 900 different products for Apple devices since 2008 and paid Apple some $12 million in licensing fees.

If this story sounds familiar that may be because Apple put a similar squeeze on Bose last year, briefly removing its high-end headphones from Apple Store shelves. Bose and Apple settled, and a month later Bose was back.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple and Monster also found a way to patch things up.

There's no denying the energy drink industry is booming, with 60% growth between 2008 to 2012. But a new report from three U.S. senators raises questions about one particular segment of the market that's growing: minors.

The report, titled "Buzz Kill," is part of senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)'s ongoing investigation into the energy drink industry. Their primary concerns are lack of regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the drinks, which may pose health problems for kids, adolescents and teens.

In 2013, the three senators sent letters to 16 energy drink companies asking about their willingness to report any adverse reactions to their products as well as to voluntarily submit to restrictions against marketing to young people. In "Buzz Kills," the senators report that just four of the 12 companies say they avoid marketing their energy drink to people under 18.

"Unfortunately, as long as early development of brand loyalty is seen as a competitive market advantage, energy drink companies will continue with the practice of marketing to teens in the absence of regulation that prohibits it," the report reads.

The American Beverage Association has long offered guidance to the beverage industry on labeling, advisory statements, and marketing to children, recommending voluntary statements that the drinks are not recommended for kids and that the products not be promoted at K-12 schools. While several energy drink companies, including Red Bull and Monster, have made a commitment not to market to kids 12 and under, some critics say people over age 12 are still at risk for possible health consequences, like neurodevelopment interactions and heart-related effects.

In response to the report, American Beverage Association spokesperson Christopher Gindlesperger said this, in a statement:

"Energy drinks have been enjoyed safely by millions of people around the world for more than 25 years, and in the U.S. for more than 15 years. Energy drinks, their ingredients and labeling are regulated by the FDA, and, like most consumer products, their advertising is subject to oversight from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

This report ignores crucial data about energy drinks and caffeine consumption in the U.S. Based on the most recent government data reported in the journal Pediatrics, children under 12 have virtually no caffeine consumption from energy drinks. This study's findings are consistent with an analysis commissioned by FDA and updated in 2012, as well as a published ILSI survey of more than 37,000 people which shows that caffeine consumption in the U.S. has remained stable during the most recent period analyzed, while coffee remains the primary source of caffeine in most age groups.

Leading energy drink manufacturers voluntarily go far beyond all federal requirements when it comes to labeling and education. In fact, ABA member companies voluntarily display total caffeine content - from all sources - on their packages along with advisory statements indicating that the product is not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women and persons sensitive to caffeine. They also have voluntarily pledged not to market these products to children or sell them in K-12 schools.

Based on current regulations, the companies are not breaking rules. An FDA regulatory category for "energy drinks" does not exist, and companies can file their energy drinks to the FDA as either foods or dietary supplements. Some companies do not need to label the amount of caffeine in their products, and others are not required to report adverse health events linked to their products. Given the regulatory confusion, the report authors say the FDA and manufacturers need to make some changes for better transparency.

The senators call on the FDA to set a recommendation for the amount of caffeine a child or adolescent can safely consume each day. They also argue that all energy drink companies should commit to providing adverse-event reports to the FDA, and companies should stop promoting their beverages as "sports drinks."

U.S. stock futures are in a positive mood this morning after five down days for the S&P 500 index. This has been the worst annual start for equities since 2008. In Europe, the eurozone’s inflation rate went negative in December for the first time since 2009, adding more pressure on the European Central Bank to begin a stimulus program, and oil remains below the psychologically significant $50 per barrel level this morning.

Here's what you need to know about today.

1. Oil prices drop worldwide.

Brent crude, the worldwide standard for oil from the North Sea, fell below $50 a barrel in London for the first time since May 2009. The price for a barrel of Brent dropped to $49.66 in futures trading today before bouncing back to $51.15 a barrel by mid-morning in the U.K. The drop comes two days after the main U.S. oil grade also fell below the $50 benchmark. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we trundle around the $50 mark for a few sessions as investors consolidate their positions just as they did when prices hit $60,” Sucden analyst Kash Kamal told Reuters.

2. Fed minutes to be released.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee will release the minutes from its Dec. 16-17 meeting this afternoon. They could provide further insight into when Fed policy makers envision raising interest rates for the first time since 2006, as well as what economic conditions would cause them to tighten policy. After the meeting last month, the committee said it would be "patient" on the timing for any rate increase.

3. European deflation.

Deflation hit the eurozone in December as prices dropped 0.2%, according to figures released today. The decline in consumer prices is the first in more than five years and was partially credited to sluggish growth and the precipitous drop in oil prices over the past few months. European Central Bank policy makers gather today for their first meeting of the year and will work towards decreasing the chance of a deflationary spiral.

4. Monster sues Beats for being left out.

Monster, the maker of audio gear equipment, has filed a lawsuit against Beats Electronics saying it was unfairly cut out of its partnership with the company prior to its sale to Apple AAPL. Monster is accusing Beats of “fraud and deceit” in the way that it took control of the namesake headphones, “Beats by Dr. Dre.” The two companies created the line of headphones under a joint partnership formed in 2008.

5. C Wonder closing up shop.

C Wonder, the preppy retailer started by industry veteran Chris Burch in 2011, is closing all its stores. The 11 locations across the U.S. will shut down over the next two to three weeks. C Wonder had tried to turn around its struggling business by discounting merchandise, closing stores and cutting staff, but the efforts weren’t enough to save the company, said CEO Harlan Kent.

]]>http://fortune.com/2015/01/07/oil-prices-drop-and-monster-sues-beats-5-things-to-know-today/feed/080864706lorenzettifortuneAudio equipment maker Monster sues Apple’s Beats over alleged fraudhttp://fortune.com/2015/01/07/audio-equipment-maker-monster-sues-apples-beats-over-alleged-fraud/
http://fortune.com/2015/01/07/audio-equipment-maker-monster-sues-apples-beats-over-alleged-fraud/#respondWed, 07 Jan 2015 05:18:08 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=933017]]>(REUTERS) – Audio equipment maker Monster has sued Beats Electronics, owned by Apple, over alleged “fraud and deceit” in the way that Beats acquired control of the rights to the popular “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones.

Under a partnership formed in 2008, Monster and Beats developed “Beats by Dr. Dre,” a line of colorful, high-end headphones that vie with the likes of Skullcandy and Bose.

According to the suit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court in California on Tuesday, Monster engineered the success of the headphones and was unfairly cut out before Beats was sold to Apple last year.

The complaint names Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre as well as HTC America Holdings Inc, a unit of Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp among others, as defendants.

Iovine is the co-founder of Interscope Records, a rap music pioneer that branched out to include acts like Lady Gaga and U2. Dr. Dre is a U.S. rapper and music producer.

The defendants fraudulently acquired Monster’s “Beats By Dr. Dre” product line including all development, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, distributing and retail rights, via a “sham” transaction with HTC, according to the complaint.

In 2011, HTC said it would buy a 51% stake in Beats for $309 million. Beats bought back half of HTC’s interest in the company soon after the transaction, the complaint said.

The complaint alleges the defendants used the change of control as an excuse to end its relationship with Monster in 2012, and that they had made millions off the work of Lee and Monster.

The complaint did not mention a dollar amount in damages. It seeks general and special damages as well as punitive damages against Beats, HTC and the individuals named.

In May 2014, Apple AAPL bought Beats hoping to win points with the music industry and turn Beats Music into a strong competitor to Spotify and other streaming services.

]]>http://fortune.com/2015/01/07/audio-equipment-maker-monster-sues-apples-beats-over-alleged-fraud/feed/0Apple Said To Be In Talks To Purchase Beats Headphones CompanyvernekopyCoca-Cola secures 16.7% equity stake in Monsterhttp://fortune.com/2014/08/14/coca-cola-secures-16-7-equity-stake-in-monster/
http://fortune.com/2014/08/14/coca-cola-secures-16-7-equity-stake-in-monster/#respondThu, 14 Aug 2014 21:25:39 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=771093]]>Coca-Cola KO and Monster Beverage Corporation MNST announced Thursday that they’ve entered into a partnership, which sees the soda-maker grabbing a 16.7% equity stake in the energy drink company.

Coca-Cola will make a net cash payment of $2.15 billion to Monster.

The deal is expected to “accelerate growth for both companies,” according to a release, including giving Monster access to Coca-Cola’s “worldwide bottling system.” Along with the 16.7% stake in Monster, Coca-Cola will have two directors on Monster’s board.

Both will also undergo restructuring as part of the partnership. For example, Coca-Cola will “transfer ownership of its worldwide energy business, including NOS, Full Throttle, Burn, Mother, Play and Power Play, and Relentless, to Monster.”

"The Coca-Cola Company continues to identify innovative approaches to partnerships that enable us to stay at the forefront of consumer trends in the beverage industry," said Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent in the release.

“Our business will be bolstered by The Coca-Cola Company energy brands we will acquire, providing us with complementary energy product offerings in many geographies, as well as access to new channels, including vending and specialty accounts," added Rodney Sacks, CEO of Monster.

Bloomberg reported in January that Coca-Cola had looked into an acquisition of Monster in early 2012, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The news also comes in light of a study recently published that found sales are slowing for sports and energy drinks as customers start to question health claims of energy drink additives.

]]>http://fortune.com/2014/08/14/coca-cola-secures-16-7-equity-stake-in-monster/feed/0snyderfortuneJob search site Monster.com gets a makeoverhttp://fortune.com/2014/07/09/monster-job-search/
http://fortune.com/2014/07/09/monster-job-search/#respondWed, 09 Jul 2014 15:05:20 +0000http://fortune.com/?p=740702]]>The granddaddy of all job sites doesn't look much different on the surface these days, except for a slightly tweaked new logo. But behind the scenes, Monster.com has been remaking itself for the past year-and-a-half. For job seekers, that means access to a lot more openings. An expanded network of databases has boosted the number of available U.S. job listings from about 250,000 six months ago to over 1.5 million now.

Not job hunting at the moment? Don't be surprised if you hear from prospective employers anyway. Companies can still post job ads on the site, just like before. But now, they can also use a service called TalentBin by Monster MWW to sift through about 115 million online profiles, gathered from more than a dozen social media sites across the Internet. They can then contact those "passive" candidates directly through a messaging center on Monster's platform.

The site's vastly expanded reach is a bid to regain the No. 1 spot in the online job advertising business, which Monster lost to Indeed.com in 2010. "We're capitalizing on dramatic changes in how recruiting gets done," notes Mark Stoever, Monster's executive vice president for strategy. "It's evolved over 20 years. We want to be Monster again."

To that end, the site acquired two smaller companies earlier this year. One of them, San Francisco-based TalentBin, makes current data on candidates available to employers from social media sites like Quora, Meetup, and GitHub. The other, Boston tech firm Gozaik, aggregates job ads and distributes them over a wide range of social media, particularly Twitter.

"The trouble with most profiles on LinkedIn, and most resumes posted on Monster, is that people don't keep them up to date," Stoever says. Constantly monitoring social media, particularly tech sites like GitHub "where people list their latest skills and credentials in order to join a community," solves that problem, he says.

Monster wants to be a one-stop shop for any talent an employer might need, even if the talent isn't looking for a job. "How do you let potential employers know you might be interested in working for them, without putting yourself out there and launching a search?" asks Stoever. Not to worry, he says. "We'll do it for you."